Strikes planned at LVMH’s drinks division starting on Friday – CGT union

Some workers at LVMH‘s wines and spirits division Moet Hennessy are planning a series of strikes starting on Friday to protest against a cut in annual bonuses, according to union leaflets seen by Reuters, in a sign of growing discontent at a business where ⁠profits have slumped.

The call to strike by branches of the CGT union is the first to apply across all of Moet Hennessy’s larger brands ⁠from Hennessy cognac to Veuve Clicquot champagne, posing a challenge for Alexandre Arnault, son of billionaire Bernard Arnault, who became deputy CEO of the division earlier this year. The CGT union said Moet Hennessy chose to cancel all profit-sharing bonuses ‍and other ‌annual benefits this year, while LVMH keeps dividends to shareholders stable.

Moet Hennessy did not respond ⁠to a request for comment ‌on this year’s compensation policy. The union is calling for limited strike days “in all ‌of the houses’ sites in the coming days and weeks”, one of the flyers, due to be handed out to workers on Thursday, said, with the aim of getting management to negotiate on pay.

The first walkouts are planned for Friday at champagne houses Moet & Chandon ‍and Veuve Clicquot-Krug, the union flyers showed. Two union sources told Reuters that further strikes would follow, including at Hennessy, over the next two months.

Strikes are rare in the luxury industry, which ‌after years of strong ⁠growth ​has been hit by a slowdown as sales stalled in China and ⁠price hikes ​deterred shoppers, while uncertainty over US President Donald Trump‘s tariffs has weighed on demand.

LVMH’s drinks business, accounting for about 7% of group sales, reported operating profit of 524 million euros ($610.98 million) ​in the first half of 2025, down 33% from the previous year. LVMH finance chief Jean-Jacques Guiony took over as CEO of the division earlier ⁠this year, with 33-year-old Alexandre Arnault as his deputy.

It ⁠was not clear how many workers would follow the call to strike. The CGT is one of France’s largest unions and has the largest representation among Moet Hennessy workers.